The Kabukiza Theater, Tokyo, Japan

The Kabukiza is a Kabuki theatre located in Tokyo. It was first built in 1889, but was destroyed by fire in 1921, then as it was being rebuilt, an earthquake wrecked it in 1923. It was again rebuilt in 1924 by Okada Shinichiro. It was bombed in 1945 leaving only the outer walls. It was again rebuilt and reopened in 1951. It is inspired by the buildings of the Edo period, with its hipped-gable roofs and Chinese gables. The theatre is built from steel-reinforced concrete. It continues to this day to host Kabuki performances.

Inside the Kabukiza

The Minamiza, another Kabuki theater in Tokyo.

Kabuki theatre was created by a woman, a shrine attendant named Okuni, in the 17th century. This was during the Edo period. Oddly it is traditionally performed by only men. Originally both men and women acted in the plays. However the Tokugawa Shogunate forbade women to act in Kabuki theater and it became tradition. This tradition still holds today. Men who play female roles are referred to as onnigata. Kabuki is performed on a large revolving stage. The Kabukiza has unique architecture, and is a very famous building in Japan. Kabuki theater is attributed to the culture of the townspeople, and not that of the higher classes. The Kabuki stage is a rotating stage that often contains trapdoors to allow actors to appear and disappear. Also common to the Kabuki stage is a footbridge (hanamichi) that leads through the audience.

One scene in Rampei Monogurui (Rampei Goes Insane).

In this scene the main character, Rampei (played by Onoe Shoroku), is fighting with his enemies. This is an example of a Kabuki play in action. The white faces and bright colors, particularly red are common to kabuki theater.

Another building by Okada, The Central Public Hall in Osaka:

Okada Shinichiro designed several buildings in Japan. The Central Public Hall in Osaka is among them. It seems to carry with it western influences. A distinctive feature is the vibrant red brick used in its construction. Other buildings by Okada include the Shinanomachi Church, which has been replaced with a newer structure, and the Meiji Seimei Building. The Shinanomachi Church helped define Japan's Western-style architecture of the early modern era.